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Hiotographic 

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1 

2 

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7 

JAMES  BRAND 

Twenty-six  Years  Pastor  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church,  Obe.lin 


SOME  CHAPTERS  FROM  HIS  LIFE 

Being  a  Narrative  of  Poverty,   Privation  and 
Heroic  Struggle  as  a  Boy  in  a  Canadian  For- 
est, a  Carpenter's  Apprentice  in  the 
'  'States, ' '  a  Self-supporting  Student 
at  Phillips  and  Yale,  and  as  a 
Soldier  of  the  Army  of  the 
n'y        Potomac  in  the  Cara- 
ts '"'  paign  of  1862-63 


WRITTEN  BY  HIMSELF 

For  His  Family,  Shortly  Before  His  Death 


OBERI,IN,   OHIO 

ItUTHBR  DAY  HARKNBSS,    PUBWSHKR 

1899 

I    ■ 


4(tf>01 

COPYRIGHT,  1899 

BY 
JWOT  H.  BRAND 

TWO  CfU^lES  HUUEIVED. 


y:^0i  OP  ■COa'Ii^^^ 


'-SS^ofCo^l^'^-^' 


i 


SECOND  COPY. 


THH  NEWS  PRINTING  COMPANY 
rSBULIN,  OHIO 


(I 


I 


j 

lu 


•COND  COPY, 


ING  COMPANY 
OHIO 


Introductory  Sketch. 

[The  following,  printed  in  the  Hartford  Courant 
of  April  17,  1899,  and  written  by  a  Yale  classmate 
now  on  the  editorial  staff  of  that  journal,  affords 
to  those  to  whom  Dr.  Brand  was  not  known,  an 
introductory  sketch  that  supplements  and  gives 
added  significance  to  the  story  told  in  these  chap- 
ters.—!,. D.  H.] 

'•TJE  WAS  Dr.  Brand  to  most  people, 
1  1  but  not  to  all.  Here  in  Hartford, 
and  in  other  Connecticut  towns,  and  scat- 
tered all  over  the  country,  are  old  friends 
to  whom  he  was  'Jim'  Brand  a  third  of  a 
century  ago  and  remained  'Jim'  Brand  to 
the  last.  To  them  his  death  is  a  personal 
sorrow. 

•'  He  came  of  Scotch  stock  and  had  its 
marks  in  face  and  character.  He  was  born 
in  the  Dominion  of  Canada  in  1834.  This 
made  him  twenty-seven  years  old  when,  in 
1 86 1,  he  entered  Yale  College — a  very 
unusual  age  for  a  freshman.  September 
2,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Twen- 
5 


nsm'^m^ms'i^mis^m^,  - 


Introductory  Sketch 


ty-seventh  Connecticut  Volunteers.  He 
became  sergeant,  and  color  sergeant  ;  was 
wounded  at  Fredericksburg  ;  was  in  the 
thick  of  the  fighting  at  Chancellorsville  ; 
behaved  with  distinguished  bravery  at 
Gettysburg  ;  was  mustered  out  July  27, 
1863,  returned  to  Yale  and  study,  and 
was  graduated  wi*-h  the  class  of  1866.  He 
was  the  patriarch  in  age  of  the  class,  its 
religious  leader,  and  its  poet.  After  com- 
pleting his  divinity  course  at  Andover 
Seminary,  he  preached  for  a  year  or  two 
at  Danvers.  Then,  in  1873,  he  was  called 
to  the  pastorate  of  the  great  First  Church 
of  Oberlin — the  famous  '  Finney  Church.' 
There  he  remained,  in  ever-increasing  use- 
fulness and  honor,  until  death  took  him. 

"In  his  earlier  years  he  could  have  made 

up  very  easily  as  an  Indian  chief — thanks 

to   the   tall,   sinewy    frame,   high   cheek 

bones,  straight  hair  and  piercing  eyes  in- 

6 


!S»^!>S8W?H(SBlK 


1    » 


Introductory  Sketch 


:er3.  Me 
:ant  ;  was 
as  in  the 
llorsville  ; 
ravery   at 

July  27, 
udy,  and 
1866.  He 

class,  its 
ifter  com- 

Andover 
ar  or  two 
vas  called 
3t  Church 
■  Church.' 
ising  use- 
)ok  him. 
ave  made 
r — thanks 
jh  cheek 
y  eyes  in- 


(jP^Tr 


herited  from  his  Scotch  ancestors.  Time's 
snow  on  his  head  only  added  to  the  im- 
pressiveness  of  his  i  ersonality.  He  con- 
tributed constantly  tc  rHigioua  ^jcriodicals 
and  he  published  several  books — among 
them 'The  Beasts  of  Ephesus'  and  'Ser- 
mons from  a  College  Pulpit.'  He  was 
a  trustee  of  Oberlin  College.  Iowa  Col- 
lege made  him  a  doctor  of  divinity  in 
1884.  He  was  a  conspicuous  figure  at 
the  Congregational  Council  in  London, 
and  again  at  the  World's  Congress  of  Re- 
ligions in  Chicago  c  >:  years  ago.  The 
moral  and  intellectual  integrity  of  his  na- 
ture was  absolute.  The  vein  of  poetry  in 
him  was  a  spring  welling  out  of  the  solid 
rock.  From  youth  to  vhite  hairs  he  was 
manly,  upright,  sincere,  a  Christian  gen- 
tleman, a  stanchly  loyal  friend.  Sorrow- 
ing Oberlin  laid  the  mortal  part  of  him  in 
the  grave  Thursday  afternoon." 
7 


s' 


Jt-l»£'^t»^^k:UJS^-:. 


r.< 


/ 


■am 


JAMES  BRAND 


Some  Chapters  from  His  Life 

MY  FATHER  AND  MOTHER,  James 
Brand  and  Janet  Boyes,  were  oorn 
in  1 8 10,  and  lived  in  Lochmaben,  Dum- 
friesshire, Scotland,  Lochmaben  is  in  that 
exquisite  region  of  Annandale  made  famous 
by  the  life  and  writings  of  Carlyle.  My 
parents  were  poor  at  birth,  and  remained 
so  to  the  end.  My  father  seems  to  have 
received  a  fair  education  for  a  poor  boy  in 
Scotland,  and  was  thus  able  to  teach  a 
country  school,  an  occupation  which  he 
followed  at  intervals  through  life.  The 
Brands  and  Boyes  are  still  to  be  found 
among  the  farmers  and  mechanics  of 
9 


f 


James  Brand 


Annandale,  with  a  fairly  good  reputation. 
My  parents  were  married  early  in  life. 
Four  of  their  children  were  born  in  Scot- 
land or  on  the  border  in  England.  It 
was  my  own  misfortune  to  first  see  the 
light  after  they  had  left  their  native  land 
and  arrived  in  Canada.  This,  to  me,  im- 
portant event  occurred  February  26,  1834, 
in  the  town  of  Th.-ee  Rivers  on  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

While  I  was  still  almost  an  infant  the 
family  moved  to  what  was  then  called  the 
"  Eastern  Township,"  to  a  place  called 
Kingsey,  where  a  few  years  were  spent  of' 
which  I  have  almost  no  recollection. 
When  perhaps  thi-ee  or  four  years  old  an- 
other move  was  made,  with  the  hope  of 
better  fortune,  to  the  town  of  Windsor  on 
the  banks  oi  the  beautiful  river  St.  Fran- 
cis. From  this  point  onward  my  recollec- 
tion is  more  vivid 

10 


LI 


r'ja?K«M^S»jft!S\'«r?iw»*f5H»o«r»*^' -  - 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


putation. 
f  in  life, 
in  Scot- 
ind.  It 
:  see  the 
tive  land 
>  me,  im- 
26,  1834, 
he  banks 

nfant  the 
:alled  the 
ce  called 
:  spent  of' 
ollection. 
s  old  an- 
hope  of 
indsor  on 
St.  Fran- 
recollec- 


^ 


My  father  bought  two  hundred  acres  of 
land,  called  "  government  land,"  at  one 
dollar  per  acre,  in  a  dense  wilderness; 
felled  the  first  trees  on  the  place  and 
began  the  stupendous  task  of  making  a 
farm  and  a  home.  A  hole  was  made  in 
the  woods,  a  little  log  house  was  built, 
and  there,  in  the  "  Back  Woods,"  a  mile 
and  a  half  from  civilization,  began  those 
struggles  with  the  frowning  forests,  those 
discouragements  from  a  stony  and  unpro- 
ductive soil,  and  the  ha'-dships  of  abject 
poverty,  which  so  often  break  down  both 
the  body  and  the  spirit  of  the  poor. 
There,  too,  the  family  increased  till  I 
found  myself  a  member  of  a  flock  of 
eleven, — seven  daughters  and  four  sons. 
There,  too,  in  spite  of  the  difficulties  of 
the  situation,  we  experienced,  as  most 
large  families  do,  a  multitude  of  gen- 
uine domestic  joys,  which  still  throw  a 


(i 


James  Brand 


halo  around  the  darkness  of  the  scene. 
Probably  the  most  trying  part  of  the 
period  was  before  I  was  old  enough  to 
realize  much  about  it.  One  event  which 
jnade  a  lasting  impression  in  those  early 
days  was  the  death  of  my  oldest  brother 
Robert.  He  was  away  at  work  helping  to 
support  the  family  with  his  scanty  earn- 
ings. He  was  suddenly  taken  sick.  My 
father  and  mother  were  sent  for,  and  in  a 
few  days  my  father  returned  alone.  I  re- 
member running  to  the  door  to  ask  if 
Robert  was  better.  My  father  replied, 
•'  Yes,  he  is  better  now,"  but  with  a  look 
and  tone  that  told  us  plainly  enough  that 
he  was  dead.  Then  came  the  meager  pre- 
parations for  burial.  We  never  saw  Rob- 
ert any  more,  for  he  was  buried  from  the 
house  where  he  died.  All  this  was  in  the 
dead  of  a  Canada  winter.  After  awhile, 
when  it  was  all  over,  we  settled  down — 

18 


(I 


■ 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


not  so  much  to  grief  so  far  as  we  children 
were  concerned,  as  to  renewed  struggles 
for  daily  bread.  There  was  nothing  to  be 
earned  in  those  av.'ful  Canada  winters,  and 
little  to  be  done  but  to  wait  for  spring. 

My  parents  felt  the  loss  of  the  help 
which  Robert's  services  had  been  in  sup- 
port of  the  family,  (he  was  the  oldest  son,) 
and  all  the  rest  who  were  old  enough  to 
use  a  little  axe,  or  carry  a  peck  of  corn  to 
the  mill  four  miles  away,  were  obliged  to 
do  their  part. 

In  regard  to  that  dark  time  I  need  only 
say  that  we  lived  through  it.  My  father 
taught  school  generally  in  winter,  and  put 
in  a  little  crop  on  the  place  in  summer, — 
each  boy  and  girl  doing  something  to  help 
carry  the  domestic  burdens.  My  mother's 
health  was  never  good.  Life  was  too 
rough,  and  the  hardships  too  sharp,  for 
her.  She  probably  suffered  more  than 
13 


James  Brand 


any  other  one  of  us,  but  with  a  far  nobler 
fortitude,  and  a  more  heroic  devotion. 
She  was  a  woman  of  prayer,  perhaps  the 
only  Christian  soul  in  the  family  for  the 
greater  part  of  her  life.  I  look  back  with 
gratitude  and  awe  to  the  times  when  I 
frequently  found  her  in  tears  over  the 
Bible  and  an  old  book  called  the  "Walk  of 
Faith"  by  some  Scotch  author  whose  name 
I  never  knew;  or  more  frequently  heard 
her  in  secret  prayer  in  some  secluded  place 
to  which  she  had  stolen  away  from  the 
burden  of  the  family  to  be  alone  with  God. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  years  passed  on,  the 
clearirg  in  the  woods  grew  larger,  circum- 
stances became  a  little  br'ghter,  the  chil- 
drep  grew  up.  More  Scotch  families  direct 
from  the  Old  Country  came  and  settled 
near  us.  We  boys  began  to  approach  man- 
hood, and  the  older  girls  were  able  to  earn 
wages;  and  thus  life  grew  quite  tolerable. 


II 


I 


t. 


II 

IT  WAS  then  that  I  personally  began 
to  manifest  a  very  restless  and  un- 
comfortable spirit.  I  had  inherited  from 
my  father  :  sort  of  rhyming  genius, — I 
might  say  quite  a  poetic  taste.  I  was  in- 
deed very  fond  of  poetry — frequently  lay 
awake  all  night  composing  crude  poems 
into  which  my  whole  soul  was  thrown. 
The  religious  sentiment  was  always  strong 
in  me,  though  I  was  not  a  Christian  till 
many  years  later.  I  worked  hard  on  the 
farm,  and  sometimes  went  out  to  work  for 
others  for  a  few  pence  per  day.  Yet  I 
became  more  and  more  restless  in  that 
kind  of  life.  The  few  books  which  my 
father  had  collected  were  eagerly  devoured 
by  me,  especially  the  poems.  One  winter, 
as  a  mark  of  supreme  extravagance,  my 
father,  pinched  with  poverty  as  he  was, 
15 


•<i><Mm»«(9»i*<>*i^ 


James  Brand 


bought  the  complete  works  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott.     I  felt  then  that  I  was  a  million- 
aire !    After  that  all  our  winter  nights  and 
rainy  days  in  summer,  were  spent   over 
Scott.     The  family  gathered  in  a  circle 
around  the  open  fire-place,  which  we  kept 
blazing  with  dry  wood  in  lieu  of  a  lamp, 
and  my  father  read  aloud  evening  after 
evening  till  the  whole  mass  of  novels  and 
poems  were  read  and  re-read.  Thus  we  were 
literally  fed  and  stuffed  with  Scotch  litera- 
ture.    It  should  be  said  here  that  I  was  a 
member  of  an  intensely  Scotch  family;  and 
at  home  no  other  dialect  was  heard  but 
the  broadest  Lowland  Scotch— the  brogue 
of  which  I  carried  with  me  in  ever  dimin- 
ishing degree  throughout  my  education. 
To  this  day  I  am  decidedly  proud  of  my 
plebeian  Scotch  blood.  The  neighborhood 
where  I  lived  soon  became  almost  exclu- 
sively a  Scotch  settlement. 
i6 


* 


J 


"NIS^ 


-.3E»S«!SB¥f3Ka=- 


* 


^ 


1 

Chapters  from  His  Life 

There  was  an  old  blacksmith,  Mongo 
Douglas  by  name,  living  near  us.  He 
was  a  well-informed  old  Scotchman  and 
a  great  reader,  but  poor  as  ourselves. 
His  daughters  had  made  him  a  present  of 
a  new  copy  of  Shakespeare  which  was  a 
marvelous  thing  in  that  region.  The 
Douglas  family  had  resolved  never  to  lend 
Shakespeare  out  of  the  house,  and  my 
father  had  resolved  never  to  lend  Scott.  But 
the  old  blacksmith,  having  discovered  my 
taste  for  poetic  reading,  entered  into  a 
conspiracy  with  me,  small  boy  as  I  was, 
to  secretly  make  an  exchange  of  books 
for  a  season.  He  actually  lent  me  Shakes- 
peare and  I  clandestinely  gave  Scott  to 
him.  Thus  my  untutored  mind  was  first 
let  into  that  great  and  marvelous  world  of 
Shakespeare.  Up  to  that  time  I  had 
known  Burns,  and  Scott,  and  Oldham,  and 
a  few  other  old  books.  But  h«re  was  a 
17 


James  Brand 


new  continent,  more  wonderful  than  that 
discovered  by  Columbus.  Of  course  I  did 
not  understand  it  all.  My  schooling  was 
of  the  meagerest  sort.  A  few  lessons  in 
a  night  school  taught  by  my  father,  and 
occasionally  a  month  or  two  in  a  district 
school  in  winter,  where  the  teacher  knew 
but  little  more  than  the  scholars,  consti- 
tuted the  whole  of  my  early  education, 
apart  from  what  I  could  pick  up  myself. 
But,  after  all,  I  found  much  in  Shakes- 
peare and  in  the  conversation  and  friend- 
ship of  Mongo  Douglas  to  stir  my  soul  to 
the  depths.  Many  a  leisure  hour  was 
spent  sitting  in  one  corner  of  the  old 
"smiddie"  carrying  on  conversation  with 
the  old  blacksmith  while  he  pounded  the 
anvil. 

As  my  mental  unrest  and  yearning  for 
an  education  grew  more  intense,  I  found 
that  there  was  one  at  home  who  tenderly 


MM 


I 

J 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


than  that 
arse  I  did 
oling  was 
essons  in 
ther,  and 
a  district 
:her  knew 
rs,  consti- 
:ducation, 
p  myself. 
I  Shakes- 
id  friend- 
ly soul  to 
tiour  was 
■  the  old 
tion  with 
unded  the 

irning  for 
I,  I  found 
)  tenderly 


'U 


u 


sympathized  with  me  in  my  longings.  My 
mother  would  have  long  talks  with  me 
when  we  were  alone,  and  end  up  by  say- 
ing, "I  hope  that  before  long  we  may  be 
better  off,  and  able  to  spare  you.  Then 
you  can  go  off  somewhere,  perhaps  to  the 
'States,'  and  earn  money  and  get  an  edu- 
cation." I  don't  know  that  either  of  us 
ever  definitely  dared  to  aspire  to  a  college 
course.  But  an  "education"  in  some  form 
was  the  goal.  All  this  was  a  vague  sort 
of  comfort  which  yet  assured  me  of 
nothing,  but  intensified  my  longings  and 
my  dreams.  I  had  a  sort  of  vision,  in 
those  days,  of  a  professional  life,  in  which 
I  seemed  to  see  myself  at  a  table  covered 
with  books  and  papers,  and  engaged  in 
preparing  something  to  say  to  the  public ! 
Later  in  life  I  have  found  that  boyish 
dream  strangely  but  really  fulfilled. 


% 


*^-T 


l^ 


III 

THE  habit  of  drinking  in  that  region 
was  almost  universal.    No  gathering 
of  men  for  any  purpose — to  raise  a  barn, 
build  a  log  house,  hold  a  chopping  bee,  or 
attend  a  New  Year's  dance,  ever  occurred 
without   whiskey.     My  natural  tempera- 
ment was  such  that  I  was  specially  in 
danger  of  a  confirmed  habit  of  intoxica- 
tion.    In  the  absence  of  good  judgment 
on  my  part,  and  in  the  presence  of  per- 
petual   temptation    from    bad    example, 
God,  as  I  now  verily  believe,  came  to  my 
rescue.     One  night  I  was  returning  home 
late  and  alone.     Near  tny  father's  house 
was  a   large  boulder  at   the  side   of  the 
road.     Some  secret  impulse  from  above 
led  me  to  sit  down  on  that  rock.     In  the 
darkness  I  fell  into  meditation,  and,  for 
the  first  time  in  my  life,  caught  r  glimpse 
20 


ii.aMini'iiiit- r-i  ■T--M-'  -'■-—.-■'■'■liiMiiiii'iiiwiiyhiir-r-*''^. 


r» 


.'iumF^ 


nm    III  iif  iiMi 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


It  region 
gathering 
ie  a  barn, 
igbee,  or 
occurred 
tempera- 
ecially  in 
intoxica- 
judgment 
2  of  per- 
example, 
me  to  my 
ling  home 
:r's  house 
le  of  the 
jm  above 
c.  In  the 
,  and,  for 
r  glimpse 


'» 


of  my  peril.  Immediately  I  resolved  tha' 
no  intoxicant  should  ever  enter  my  mouth 
again  as  a  beverage.  I  rose  and  went 
home  perfectly  settled  in  my  purpose.  I 
said  nothing  about  it  to  anyone  till  the 
next  time  whiskey  was  being  passed 
round.  On  my  refusal  to  partake  a  great 
stir  was  made.  My  brothers  and  neigh- 
bors ridiculed  me,  and  tried  hard  to  laugh 
me  out  of  my  resolution.  But  they  failed. 
The  more  opposition  I  met  with,  the  more 
determined  I  became.  After  awhile  a  few 
others  joined  me,  and  we  secured  a  minis- 
ter from  Melbourne  to  give  a  temperance 
lecture.  A  society  was  formed  and  the 
dominion  of  liquor  was  broken.  A  recent 
visit  to  that  land  revealed  the  fact  that 
nearly  all  the  young  people  are  now  total 
abstainers,  and  many  older  men,  though 
they  would  never  sign  a  pledge,  are  now 
sober  and  thrifty. 

31 


~M: 


H 


James  Brand 


As  to  the   use   of  tobacco,   I   had  the 
same  passion  to  smoke  that  all  the  other 
boys  of  the  region  had.     But  here,  too, 
Providence  was  against  it.     One  day   I 
took  pipe  and  tobacco  and  went  off  for  a 
first  great  smoke.     It  was  perfectly  suc- 
cessful.    But  the  result  kept  me  in  a  pros- 
trate condition  behind  a  log  in  the  pas- 
ture for  some  hours  before  I  felt  ready  to 
return,     I  carefully  avoided  answering  di- 
rect questions  on  the  subject  of  my  long 
absence.     But  it  seemed  to  me  after  that, 
that  there  was  no  sense  or  wisdom  in  the 
use  of  tobacco.     Every  year   since   that 
time  has  only  confirmed  my  conclusion.  I 
thank  God  every  day  that,  without  any  vis- 
ible sign  of  good  sense  on  my  part,  I  was 
saved  in  my  youth,  and  in  a  region  where 
both  whiskey  and  tobacco  were  as  com- 
mon as  daily  bread,  from  those  two  blight- 
ing habits.     It  is  morally  certain  that  had 

32 


I   had  the 
[1  the  other 
here,  too, 
Dne  day   I 
:nt  off  for  a 
•fectly  sue-  , 
le  in  a  pros- 
in  the  pas- 
ilt  ready  to 
iswering  di- 
of  my  long 
e  after  that, 
idom  in  the 
since   that 
)nclusion.  I 
out  any  vis- 
part,  I  was 
egion  where 
ere  as  com- 
:  two  blight- 
lin  that  had 


■  '■"y?».'ii>^iitfftil 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


I  not  been  rescued  when  I  was  by  a  pity- 
ing God,  my  whole  life  would  have  been  a 
wreck. 


I 


23 


IV 

IN   THE   course   of   years    a  Yankee 
school-master  by  the  name  of  Bean 
came   to  Windsor;   and,  during   a  three 
months  winter  school,  established  a  de- 
bating club  in  the  school-house  for  the 
boys.     I  could  not  leave  my  work  to  go 
to  school,  but   I   did  join   the  debating 
club,  which  tended  thoroughly  to  awaken 
my  mind.     I  remember  my  first  appoint- 
ment on  debate.     I  pondered  the  subject 
in  the   night,  and  while   at  work   in  the 
woods  by  day;   and  was  often  found  and 
laughed   at  for  repeating  over  my  argu- 
ments aloud  when  I  supposed  no  one  was 
near.     When  the  great  day  came  I  made 
my  speech  to  a  full  school-house,  and  my 
reputation  was  made.  An  old  man  named 
Josiah  Brown  nearly  ruined  me  by  saying 
that  my  speech  was  "  almost  as  good  as 
24 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


a  Yankee 
le  of  Bean 
ng   a  three 
ished  a  de- 
ise  for  the 
work  to  go 
le  debating 
'  to  awaken 
rst  appoint- 
the  subject 
,rork   in  the 
t  found  and 
r  my  argu- 
no  one  was 
ame  I  made 
ise,  and  my 
man  named 
le  by  saying 
as  good  as 


the  school-masier's."  With  a  great  strug- 
gle, and  with  the  beneficent  help  of  much 
subsequent  snubbing,  discipline,  and  ex- 
perience, I  have,  I  hope,  survived  my  con- 
ceit. 

That  debating  club,  however,  still  fur- 
ther intensified  my  longings  for  an  educa- 
tion.    At  this  time  I  was  in  dire  need,  for, 
as  yet,  I  did  not  know  the  simplest  rule  of 
English  Grammar,  and  could  not  spell  the 
common  words.    The  time  aL  last  came 
in  the  circumstances  of  the  family  when 
my  mother's  timid  prophecy  seemed  ap- 
proaching a  possible  fulfilment.     I  was  a 
man,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  well  up  in 
my  teens.     A  tolerable  subsistence  could 
be  made  from  the  <arm.     The  place  was 
left  in   the  hands   of  my   father   and  a 
younger  brother.     Without   any  definite 
plan,  or  purpose,  or  hope,  but  simply  re- 
solved to  seek  my  fortune,  I  packed  a  few 
25 


f 


If 


James  BMnd 


things  in  a  little  box,  bade  farewell  to  my 
home,  and  started  for  the  state  of  Maine. 
My  mother,  always  my  good  angel,  seem- 
ed to  have  a  presentiment  that  she  would 
not  see  me  again.  She  followed  me  some 
distance  from  the  house,  as  I  was  going 
away,  and  gave  me  her  last  blessing  and 
embrace.  Her  presentiment  was  right.  I 
never  saw  her  more. 

I  had  at  that  time  a  good  sister  in  Bid- 
deford,  Maine.  To  her  I  went  and  stayed 
a  few  days  while  looking  for  something  to 
do.  The  great  fact  now  dawned  upon  me 
that  the  prospect  of  an  education  seemed 
no  better  in  the  United  States  than  in 
Canada.  Still  I  was  not  discouraged.  It 
was  late  in  the  fall  of  1853,  if  I  mistake 
not  I  had  no  money,  and  work  was  hard 
to  find.  I  was  ready  to  undertake  any 
sort  of  toil  that  would  give  me  bread.  I 
searched  the  towns  of  Saco  and  Biddeford 
26 


f 


.^i 


Hf&. 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


veil  to  my 
of  Maine, 
gel,  seem- 
she  would 
I  me  some 
vas  going 
;sf  ing  and 
s  right.    I 

er  in  Bid- 
nd  stayed 
lethfng  to 
I  upon  me 
•n  seemed 
:  than  in 
aged.  It 
I  mistake 
was  hard 
take  any 
bread.  I 
Biddeford 


from  one  end  to  the  other  for  some  one  to 
"  give  me  leave  to  toil."  Day  after  day  I 
returned  weary  and  heart  sick.  Nobody 
wanted  work.  At  home  I  had  become 
handy  with  tools,  and  at  last  Mr.  Isaac 
Sands,  a  house  carpenter,  took  me  in  and 
set  me  to  work.  That  winter  I  could  do 
little  more  than  earn  my  board,  but  grad- 
ually I  improved  in  skill  and  was  soon  as 
good  as  any  man  he  had.  My  wages  were 
raised,  and  I  devoted  myself  to  the  trade 
of  house  carr  entry.  Between  three  and 
four  years  were  spent  in  that  business  in 
the  employ  of  Mr.  Sands. 

During  the  course  of  that  time  I  fell  in 
with  a  few  young  men  of  an  intellectual 
turn  of  mind,  and  quite  beyond  me  in  cul- 
ture and  intelligence.  They  were  carrying 
on  a  debating  society.  At  first  I  was  in- 
clined to  shun  them  lest  I  should  expose 
my  ignorance,  but  was  finally  induced  to 
a? 


James  Brand 


join  the  club,  unlettered  as  I  was.  The 
first  debate  in  which  I  took  part  was  on 
the  subject,  "Resolved,  That  the  works  of 
Art  are  more  attractive  than  the  works  of 
Nature."  Of  course  I  took  the  negative. 
My  passion  for  nature  was  in  my  blood 
from  infancy.  But,  to  clinch  my  argument, 
I  introduced  the  idea  of  a  beautiful,  intel- 
ligent young  lady  as  an  example  of  na- 
ture. This  brought  down  the  house  and 
won  me  the  debate.  After  that  the  boys 
were  very  friendly,  lent  me  books  to  read, 
etc.,  and  we  had  many  a  good  time  to- 
gether while  they  were  in  school,  or  clerk- 
ing in  stores,  and  I  was  toiling  away  at 
the  bench. 


was.  The 
art  was  on 
le  works  of 
le  works  of 
e  negative, 
my  blood 
argument, 
itiful,  intel- 
iple  of  na- 
house  and 
it  the  boys 
ks  to  read, 
d  time  to- 
)1,  or  clerk- 
g  away  at 


IN  THE  fall  of  1857  began  that  great 
revival  of  religion  which  spread  over 
the  whole  country,  and  changed  the  lives 
and  destinies  of  thousands  of  people. 
Through  that  revival  my  own  life  reached 
its  supreme  crisis.  The  Sands  family, 
with  whom  I  had  become  so  intimately 
associated,  were  church-going  people,  and 
my  custom  was  to  attend  church  with 
them.  My  life,  however,  was  far  from  be- 
ing Christian.  Habits  of  thought  and 
speech.which  prevailed  in  the  society  with 
which  I  was  daily  thrown,  had  left  their  mark 
upon  me,  though  the  two  great  evils  of 
liquor  and  tobacco,  conquered  years  before 
in  Canada,  were  steadily  resisted.  A  noble 
Chriiitian  man,  Dr.  Francis  B.  Wheeler, 
was  then  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Church  of  Saco.  His  preaching,  especially 
29 


James  Brand 


as  the  revival  interest  bej^'an  to  appear, 
had  great  influence  upon  my  mind.  I  re- 
member being  deeply  and  frequently  af- 
fected, and  even  shedding  tears  during 
the  service,  long  before  I  thought  seriously 
of  surrender  to  God.  The  truth  convinced 
my  reason,  and  the  love  of  God  touched 
my  heart  and  stirred  my  emotional  nature. 
And  that  for  a  long  time  satisfied  me 
without  any  change  of  will.  I  have  no- 
ticed the  same  thing  many  times  under 
my  own  ministry.  The  weeping  hearer  is 
often  the  last  to  come  to  Christ.  One 
evening,  however,  in  mid-winter,  1857, 
when  many  young  people  were  turning  to 
Christ,  I  went  into  the  prayer  meeting  in 
the  old  vestry,  so  far  as  I  recollect,  with- 
out any  purpose  good  or  bad.  The  meet- 
ing did  not  interest  me.  At  the  close  of 
the  more  general  exercises  I  went  out 
with  several  other  young  men,  and  was 
30 


~~jyjLl,:f>V*-g— 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


to  appear, 
mind.  I  re- 
equently  af- 
tears  during 
ght  seriously 
th  convinced 
jrod  touched 
ional  nature, 
satisfied  me 

I  have  no- 
times  under 
ing  hearer  is 
Christ.  One 
inter,  1857, 
e  turning  to 

meeting  in 
ollect,  with- 

The  meet- 
the  close  of 
I  went  out 
:n,  and  was 


standing  at  the  door  talking.  Then  and 
there  God's  plan  suddenly  developed.  A 
good  Deacon  Sawyer  was  God's  chosen 
instrument.  This  man  came  out,  laid  his 
hand  on  my  shoulder  and  said,  "Come  in, 
we  are  going  to  have  a  short  enquiry 
meeting."  God's  finger  was  in  that  touch. 
I  neither  seemed  to  yield  or  resist,  but, 
somehow,  walked  in  as  a  matter  of  course, 
without  a  word.  I  only  remember  that 
there  were  prayers  and  kind  words,  and, 
lo,  I  was  on  the  Lord's  side !  A  mighty 
change  had  taken  place  as  silently  as  the 
sunlight  falls  upon  ihe  rock.  Vaguely, 
but  really,  I  seemed  to  be  connected  to 
Christ's  service  and  reconciled  to  God. 
There  was  a  good  deal  of  talk  about  my 
case,  and  that  of  some  other  young  peo- 
ple. But  my  chief  concern  was  that  it 
might  not  prove  to  be  a  sham,  for  I 
dreaded  shams.  From  that  time  onward 
31 


James  Brand 


for  several  weeks,  during  which  the  great 
awakening  was  under  full  headway,  I  at- 
tended meetings  every  night  without  ex- 
ception. Our  debating  club  meetings  were 
abandoned,  all  of  its  members,  I  think, 
becoming  Christians.  That  old  vestry  be- 
came, and  is  still,  to  my  mind,  one  cf  the 
most  sacred  spots  on  earth.  In  the  early 
spring  about  one  hundred  of  us  united 
with  the  Congregational  Church. 


i» 


-M»"»??«n«r'i*8'**"W'>™ 


:h  the  great 
idway,  I  at- 
without  ex- 
letings  were 
s,  I  think, 
d  vestry  be- 
one  cf  the 
in  the  early 
us  united 
:h. 


VI 

ONLY  a  few  days  later  I  was  at  work 
in  the  carpenter's   shop,  when    the 
door  opened  and  the  pastor,  Dr.  V. heeler, 
came  in.     He  said,  "  I  came  in  to  ask  if 
you  have  any  definite  plans  laid  for  life.'' 
I  thought  I  saw  nomething  in  his  face  that 
meant  a  new  career  for  me.     I  said  I  had 
no  plans  but  that  could  be   easily  aban- 
doned.    I    told    him    something   of    my 
dreams   and   unrest,   but   that   I  had  no 
prospect  but  the  life  of  a  common  me- 
chanic.    I   had   rpent    more   than    three 
years   at   the  bench,  had  just  secured  a 
chest  of  tools,  and  was  ready  to  begin  as 
a  journeyman  carpenter.     He  quietly  said 
that  he  had  talked   it  over   with  some 
friends,  and  he  thought  he  could  put  me 
in  the  way  of  getting  an  education,  pro- 
vided I  would  be  willing  to  enter  the  min- 
33 


•"  '  .'wnpiiiii 


Jb.-... 


d 


'""^■WSW:'' 


Jan  -s  Brand 


istry.  I  said  that  would  depend  on 
whether  he  thought  I  would  be  worth 
anything  in  helping  men  to  Christ.  He 
encouraged  me,  and  the  die  was  cast  then 
and  there. 

Dr.  Wheeler's  plan  was  to  have  me  take 
simply  the  academy  course  at  Andover, 
Mass.,  and   then,   owing  to  my  age  and 
poverty,  to  go  directly  into  the  theologi- 
cal seminary.     I  asserted  to  the  plan,  but 
with  the  secret  reservation  that  I  would 
settle  the  question  of  college  when  I  got 
to  it.     My  pastor  encouraged  me  to  ex- 
pect that   several    friends    in   the   church 
would  give    me   a   financial   start ;  which 
promises    were    faithfully  kept.      All    I 
wanted  was  a  "  start."     In  three  weeks 
my  chest  of  tools  was  sold — a  fact  which 
I  have  often   regretted.     My   friends  had 
gathered  around  me  with  great  kindness 
and  I  was  off  for  Phillips  Academy  I     My 
34 


^ 


Rlf^s'iWSM^''i  *? '  w^^iii***^'?' w  '* 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


Icpend    on 

be   worth 

;hrist.     He 

.3  cast  then 

ive  me  take 
t  Andover, 
iy  age  and 
e  theologi- 
ic  plan,  but 
at  I  would 
when  I  got 
I  me  to  ex- 
the  church 
tart ;  which 
Dt.  All  I 
hree  weeks 
I  fact  which 
friends  had 
at  kindness 
demy !     My 


life  dream  was  beginning  to  unfold.  I  had 
money  enough  to  get  through  the  first 
term  in  the  Academy  in  a  course  of  study 
which  proved  to  be  of  t^n  years'  duration, 
besides  a  year  in  tlie  army,  before  I  was 
ready  for  the  pulpit.  Yet  I  never  thought 
of  being  discouraged,  or  inquiring  howl 
was  to  get  through. 

T  had  letters  from  my  pastor  to  Dr.  S. 
H.  Taylor,  the  distirguished  principal  of 
the  Academy,  and  to  Professor  Shedd,  then 
of  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  on  the 
latter  of  whom,  when  I  presented  my  let- 
ter, I  promised  to  call  often,  but,  like  that 
of  many  another  bashful  loon,  it  was  a 
promise  never  kept. 

To  a  "greenhorn,"  fresh  from  the  jack 
plane,  and  with  absolutely  no  early  train- 
ing beyond  the  ability  to  read  and  write 
in  an  exceedingly  imperfect  manner.  I 
need  not  say  that  the  new  life  at  Andover 
33 


rT»* 


f-W! 


^■M^t^^t-'.Ul^Sttbi.t^tni..;^,  - 


-' — T^rin'imtill 


MtWft*- 


fl 


«Wffi«9®?«^|(WSS- 


James  Brand 


was  neither  easy  nor  cheering.  After  se- 
curing a  boarding  place  at  $i.6o  per 
week,  and  procuring  a  room  in  the  old 
"  Latin  Commons "  furnished  with  one 
broken-legged  chair,  and  a  table  to  match, 
in  the  middle  of  a  carpetless  floor,  and 
with  two  or  three  books,  I  began  my  life 
work.  Taking  up  Latin  and  mathematics 
together  with  some  other  studies  wh'ch  I 
ought  to  have  had  in  childhood,  and  see- 
ing each  day  little  boys  half  my  age 
going  away  ahead  of  me,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  I  had  entered  upon  a  process  of 
martyrdom,  and  that  "  getting  an  educa- 
tion "  was  not  so  lovely  as  I  had  sup- 
posed. 

In  the  course  of  time,  however,  my  reci- 
tations gradually  improved.  My  pride 
kept  many  from  ever  knowing  how  utterly 
destitute  of  early  training  I  was.  I  had  one 
advantage,  however;  I  had  read  a  good 
36 


fiv 


After  se- 
$i.6o  per 
in  the  old 
J  with    one 
le  to  match, 
floor,  and 
:gan  my  life 
mathematics 
lies  wh'ch  I 
id,  and  see- 
ilf  my   age 
;med  to  me 
process  of 
g  an  educa- 
I   had  sup- 
per, my  reci- 
My  pride 
how  utterly 
s.  I  had  one 
ear!  a  good 


ti 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


'- 


many  books  of  poetry  and  fiction,  which 
gave  me  a  slight  advantage  among  the 
boys,  though  not  much  with  my  teachers. 
During  the  first  term  I  earned  no  money, 
and  accomplished  very  little  in  any  direc- 
tion, except  to  learn,  in  some  degree,  how 
to  study.  My  scholarship,  however,  was 
hurt  all  the  way  through  by  the  fearful 
disadvantages  of  my  early  youth.  In  the 
long  summer  vacation  I  went  back  to 
Maine  and  earned  what  I  could  at  my 
trade,  returning  in  the  fall  with  enough  to 
begin,  but  not  enough  to  continue  many 
weeks.  I  secured  the  care  of  the  Semi- 
nary Chapel,  which  helped  me  eke  out  a 
living. 

Thus  I  went  on  from  term  to  term.  My 
Saco  friend.  Dr.  Wheeler,  soon  left  there 
and  went  to  a  Presbyterian  church  in 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  The  other  friends 
there,  after  doing  me  a  good  many  kind- 
37 


-.^■■"-i^i^'^i^-- 


-■■'^immsii' 


'I 


i> 


pi 

k:: 


James  Brand 


nesses,  lost  interest  in  me  after  awhile  ; 
thought  I  was  foolish  to  talk  of  college, 
and  that  I  was  wasting  my  time  in  so 
much  study,  and  wearing  out  my  life  try- 
ing to  get  it.  Accordingly  I  was  left  to 
my  own  resources.  Wealthy  boys  in  the 
Academy  once  in  awhil'..  p-av  ^e  a  lift 
secretly,  rather  than  have  mt  leave.  But 
after  all,  a  good  many  terms  I  boarded 
myself  in  a  very  primitive  way.  I  bought 
a  barrel  of  Boston  crackers  and  a  big  jug 
of  New  Orleans  molasse",  stored  them 
away  in  a  corner  of  my  room,  and  these 
constituted  my  food  three  times  a  day. 
The  only  relief  from  that  was  when  old 
Mrs.  Gough,  who  had  charge  of  the  Sem- 
inary rooms,  brought  me  what  she  called 
a  "  pandowdy,"  in  pay  for  some  job  of 
work  done  for  her. 

During  my  senior  year  a  dear  fiiend  of 
mine,  and  his  sister,  who  came  into  p.;  .- 
38 


0mammrr. 


ter  awhile  ; 
of  college, 
time  in  so 
my  life  try- 
was  left  to 
boys  in  the 
^e  a  lift 
leave.     But 
1   I  boarded 
.     I  bought 
d  a  big  jug 
ored   them 
,  and  these 
mes  a  day. 
3  when  old 
)f  the  Sem- 
she  called 
ame  job  of 

ir  fiiend  of 
e  into  poa- 


i  i 


V 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


session  of  quite  a  fortune,  gave  me  great 
help  and  enabled  me  to  get  through  with- 
out a  debt.  I  cannot  here  mention  all  the 
good  friends  in  Andover  whom  I  found 
both  among  the  students  and  the  citizens 
of  that  dear  old  town.  Mrs.  S.  F.  Abbott 
and  Mrs.  Farley,  however,  deserve  special 
mention  for  their  sympathy  and  encour- 
agement to  a  homeless  and  penniless 
youth. 

I  was,  indeed,  homeless,  and  had  been 
for  several  years.  I  should  have  men- 
tioned that  during  my  first  year  in  the 
Acat'emy  I  lost  my  mother  and  my  home 
at  the  same  time.  News  came  from  Can- 
ada that  she  was  dying.  I  went  home,  but 
she  was  already  buried  when  I  arrived. 
Thus  the  main  tie  that  bound  me  to  Can- 
ada was  broken  forever.  My  mother  was 
the  victim  of  poverty,  hard  work,  and  the 
care  of  a  great  family  of  children, — a  suf- 
39 


James  Brand 


I  I 


ferer  for  years  from  poor  health  and  do- 
mestic hardships.  "  The  rest  that  re- 
maineth  to  the  people  of  God  "  must  have 
meant  to  her  far  more  than  to  most 
women.  It  was  a  consolation  to  her  on 
her  death  bed  that  she  knew  I  had  be- 
come a  Christian,  and  was  studying  for 
the  ministry.  She  was  a  good  mother  in 
spite  of  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil. 
My  father  after  awhile  married  again,  and 
the  original  family  were  all  scattered,  each 
for  him  or  herself. 

I  must  say  that,  notwithstanding  all 
drawbacks,  I  had  a  very  blessed  and  de- 
lightful course  in  Phillips  Academy,  grad- 
uating in  June  1861,  just  as  the  war  of  the 
rebellion  broke  out.  The  advice  of  my 
friends  was  disregarded,  and  I  quietly  de- 
termined, instead  of  entering  the  seminary 
half  prepared,  to  go  straight  to  Yale.  How 
I  was  to  pay  my  way  in  college  was  a 
40 


alth  and  do- 
;st  that  re- 
"  must  have 
an  to  most 
ti  to  her  on 
V  I  had  be- 
studyjng  ibr 
d  mother  in 
id  the  devil. 

1  again,  and 
ttered,  each 

tanding  all 
ied  and  de- 
lemy,  grad- 

2  war  of  the 
vice  of  my 

quietly  de- 
le seminary 
Yale.  How 
lege  was  a 


r 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


T 


problem  which  I  could  not,  indeed  did  not, 
attempt  to  solve.     I  had  already  learned 

what  I  have  told  scores  of  boys  since, 

that  if  one  has  pi  ick  and  Christian  self- 
denial  he  can  get  an  education,  whether 
he  has  money  or  not.  With  this  feeling 
strong  in  my  soul,  I  entered  college  in  the 
fall  of  1 86 1.  My  freshman  year  in  col- 
lege was  one  of  delightful  study  and  com- 
panionship, distracted  only  by  the  excite- 
ments of  the  great  Rebellion.  Early  in 
the  year  I  became  secretary  of  a  student's 
boarding  club,  which  secured  to  me  my 
board ;  and  certain  small  scholarships, 
then  available  for  poor  students,  supplied 
my  other  wants. 


i  . 


41 


"^"""^m 


•I» 


!: 


t^- 


VII 

AT  THE  close  of  the  year,  or,  rather, 
in  the  late  part  of  the  summer  vaca- 
tion, the  prospects  of  the  war  were  very 
dark  from  the  Northern  point  of  view.  A 
heavy  call  for  more  volunteers  was  made, 
and  notwithstanding  I  had  given  myself 
to  the  Gospel  Ministry,  I  felt  that  I  could 
not  rest  without  contributing  my  share  to 
the  cause  of  the  country.  It  seemed  to 
me  a  Christian  duty  as  much  as  preach- 
ing. I  felt  the  stronger  on  this  subject 
because  I  had  grown  up  from  childhood 
with  intense  anti- slavery  feeling,  and  I 
had  no  doubt  but  that  slavery  would  vo 
down  in  the  blood  of  the  rebellion.  Aj- 
cordingly,  I  enlisted*  as  a  private  sold'er, 

>In  one  of  Dr.  Brand's  old  college  note-bioks 
this  entry  was  found: 

"New  Haven,  September  2,  1862.— This  day  I 
bid  farewell  to  the  dear  scenes  of  Yale  College  and 

42 


BBsii- 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


or,  rather, 
nmer  vaca- 
were  very 
f  view.  A 
ivas  made, 
^en  myself 
lat  I  could 
y  share  to 
seemed  to 
is  preach - 
lis  subject 
childhood 
tig,  and  I 
would  |-o 
lion.  Aj- 
te  sold'er, 

I  note-bioks 

-This  day  I 
College  and 


and  for  nine  months  was  enrolled  in  Com- 
pany I,  Twenty-seventh  Connecticut  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  We  were  transported 
first  to  Arlington  Heights,  and  put  for  a 
few  weeks  under  training.  I  was  there 
appointed  Color  Sergeant  of  the  regiment. 
Soon  we  were  marched  down  through 
Maryland,  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Acquia 
Creek,  and  led  to  Fredericksburg  to  en- 
gage in  the  great  abortive  struggle  under 
Burnside.  The  battle,  which  was  our  first, 
took  place  December  13th,  1862.  My 
own  regiment  was  marched  across  the 
Rappahannock  River,  into  the  city  of  Fred- 
lay  my  life  on  the  altar  of  Freedom.  I  enlist  in 
the  'Burnside  Rifles'  for  nine  months.  I  trust  God 
has  led  me  to  this  decision.  My  hope  is  in  Him. 
If  I  never  return,  let  this  testify  that  I  believe  I 
have  laid  down  my  life  in  a  just  and  holy  cause; 
and  that  I  have  done  so  under  the  influence  of  no 
momentary  excitement,  no  love  of  adventure,  no 
hope  of  honor,  but  simply  because  I  believe  that 
God  and  humanity  demand  it.    May  God  help  me. 

"James  Brand." 

43 


James  Brand 


ericksburg,  and  up  Marye's  Heights  in 
front  of  the  "  stone  wall."  There  we  were 
slaughtered  for  a  half  day  without  any 
material  gain  to  the  Union  cause.  I  was 
wounded  through  the  shoulder  in  front 
of,  and  close  up  to  the  stone  wall,  early  in 
the  afternoon  ;  lay  on  the  field  between 
the  two  lines  of  battle  till  dark  ;  then  got 
ofif  to  the  right  down  into  a  road-cut  in 
the  hill,  and  so  back  to  the  city.  The 
next  day  was  Sunday,  during  which  both 
armies  lay  still.  Sunday  night  we  evacu- 
ated the  city,  returned  to  the  north  bank 
of  the  river,  and  the  Burnside  effort  was  a 
failure  and  defeat.  The  enemy  could  not 
be  dislodged  from  the  heights  in  that  way. 
I  was  removed,  with  hundreds  of  other 
wounded  men,  to  Alexandria,  where  I 
spent  some  six  weeks  in  the  gallery  of  the 
old  Baptist  church  which  was  being  used 
as  a  hospital. 

44 


heights  in 
re  we  were 
ithout  any 
se.  I  was 
er  in  front 
ill,  early  in 
d  between 
: ; then  got 
road-cut  in 
city.  The 
ivhich  both 
:  we  evacu- 
north  bank 
:ffort  was  a 
T  could  not 
1  that  way. 
Is  of  other 
I,  where  I 
Uery  of  the 
being  used 


\ 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


Returning  to  the  front  as  soon  as  I  was 
able,  we  stayed  in  winter  quarters  till  the 
first  of  May,  and  then  began  the  Char.ccl- 
lorsville   campaign.      Crossing   the   river 
some  miles  above  the  city  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  we   proceeded   to    Chancellorsville 
where  the  enemy  met  us,  and  a  terrific 
battle  ensued,  May  1-3.     There  a  large 
part  of  my  regiment   was  captured,  but 
the  colors  being  with  the  other  part,  were 
saved.     It  is  no  part  of  this  sketch  to  de- 
tail the  fighting  and  suffering  of  that  cam- 
paign.    Suffice  it  to  say  that  I  came  out 
of  it  alive  and   without  a  wound.      Our 
next  campaign   may  be  considered  with 
more  complacency. 

During  the  hot  weather  the  last  of  June, 
1863,  the  army  began  its  march  from  Fal- 
mouth, Va.,  to  Gettysburg,  Pa.  After  an 
excruciating  march,  almost  night  and  day, 
we  reached  Gettysburg  on  the  morning  of 
45 


II 


James  lirand 


July  2,  and  went  at  once  into  line  of  bat- 
tle. (For  details  of  this  battle  see  my  lec- 
ture on  Gettysburg,  and  the  history  of 
Twenty-seventh  Connecticut  Volunteers.) 

[Although  this  is  a  personal  narrative 
written   by  Dr.  Brand  for  his  children  at 
their    request,    and,  of    course,    with    no 
thought  of  publicalion,  he  maintains,  even 
here,  his  characteristic  reticence  as  to  his 
own  part  in  that  historic  campaign  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  in  '62-3;    and  the 
lecture  and  history  to  which  he  here  refers 
are  lihevvise  silent  as  to  his  conspicuous 
bravery  at  Gettysburg.      We  learn  from 
these  narratives  that  at  about  4  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  of  this  July  2,  his  regiment 
(now   reduced,  after  a  campaign  of  only 
nine  months,  from  829  to  75  men),  as  a 
part  of  General  Brooke's  brigade,  made 
that  desperate  charge  down  through  the 
"valley  of  death,"  across  the  wheat  field. 
But  these  accounts  do  not  record  the  fact 
that  the   colors   of  the   Twenty-seventh 
46 


■  »aa;aj«'.f.fs'.ws3*-''Tii"MBiiiii  I  m 


line  of  bat- 
see  my  lec- 
history  of 
olunteers.) 

1  narrative 
:hildren  at 
,    with    no 
tains,  even 
:e  as  to  his 
aign  of  the 
;   and  the 
here  refers 
)nspicuous 
learn  from 
o'clock  in 
i  regiment 
fn  of  only 
men),  as  a 
ide,  made 
rough  the 
heat  field, 
d  the  fact 
:y-seventh 


Chapters  from  His  Life 


Connecticut  were  first  to  reach  the  rocky 
ledge  (Dr.  Brand's  account  simply  says 
that  "the  men"  planted  the  colors  on  the 
ridge);  or  that  when  the  night  closed  in 
and  38  of  the  75  men  were  down,  and 
General  Brooke  at  last  ordered  the  shat- 
tered line  to  fall  back,  Color  Sergeant 
Brand  again  risked  his  life  to  save  that  of 
his  disabled  regimental  commander:  he 
fell  out  of  the  line  under  a  murderous 
cross-fire  to  take  up  and  carry  him  from 
the  field.  A  medal,  now  in  possession  of 
Dr.  Brand's  family,  commemorates  the 
deed. — L.  D.  H.] 

When  we  had  followed  Lee's  flying 
forces  back  to  the  Potomac  and  captured 
his  rearguard,  our  term  of  service  having 
just  expired,  we  returned  home  amid  the 
rejoicings  of  the  people  over  the  great  vic- 
tory. I  have  very  vivid  remembrances  of 
our  reception  at  New  Haven.  The  regi- 
ment was  a  pet  of  the  city,  and  the  whole 
47 


wynii    --r^-.-^r 


U 


!l  ■ 


James  Brand 


population  was  out.  What  specially  im- 
pressed me  was  the  fact,  that,  as  we  were 
drawn  up  in  front  of  the  old  State  House, 
my  best  beloved  teacher.  Professor  Thatch- 
er, even  then  an  old  man,  stood  up  on  tnp 
of  the  fence  amid  a  crowd  of  college  boys, 
and,  waving  his  hat,  proposed  "three 
cheers  for  Brand." 

In  a  few  days  we  were  mustered  out  of 
service,  and  I  was  once  more  a  citizen  and 
a  ytudent,  but  the  hard  s  of  my  brief 
army  life  left  their  marl<  my  health, 

and  have  caused  many  a  day  of  suffering, 
even  down  to  the  present  time. 

[Dr.  Brand's  manuscript  ends  here.  He  had 
promised  his  children  to  take  it  up  again  in  the 
summer  vacation  of  189^,  and  to  enlarge  it  by  the 
addition  of  more  remiinscences  and  anecdotes  of 
his  boyhood,  and  by  the  continuation  of  the  nar- 
rative down  to  the  close  of  his  college  life.  His 
death,  on  April  eleventh  of  this  year,  prevented 
the  fulfillment  of  his  promise. — i..  D.  H.J 


48 


.  :^t„'»m,wm,-M  ufm»m 


specially  im- 
:,  as  we  were 
state  House, 
ssorThatch- 
jd  up  on  <:op 
;ollege  boys, 
osed   "  three 

stored  out  of 
a  citizen  and 
I  of  my  brief 
my  health, 
of  suffering, 


here.  He  had 
lip  again  in  the 
ilarge  it  by  the 
d  anecdotes  of 
ion  of  the  nar- 
llege  life.  His 
'ear,  prevented 

>.H.f 


"jW!  ,"''?ii^**^!'^'9p'B?***~*'' 


■;r^:f;ft.,&sy 


i 


i 


